Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
The title of today's devotional is "You Have All That You Need." One of my struggles as a pastor is comparison. I struggle with comparing myself to other pastors. Sometimes I wonder, do I have what it takes to be a fruitful Christian, or a fruitful pastor or an effective pastor? It's hard because sometimes I look around and I'm like, well, God gave this person a platform, gave this person a platform. Then I start to compare myself, and it really robs me of my joy. Comparison is actually one of the biggest tools of the enemy.
A Foundational Truth
In our text today, Peter gives us such a foundational truth for every single Christian. During the time he was writing, there were a lot of false teachers coming around, and they were saying that they possessed a special knowledge that was only available to them. Peter was writing to Christians, and he was trying to tell them, hey, you have all that you need. You don't need this supernatural knowledge that these false teachers are saying they possess. He wants to instill courage and confidence in the Christians that they can live an effective Christian life.
This is what he says. He starts off by saying, "By His divine power." It's not by our discipline. It's not based on how much we do for the Lord. It's by His divine power. It says, "God has given us everything we need." So, we have power. For what? For living a godly life. That means if we are in Christ, the Spirit of God resides in each and every one of us. There's no professional Christians, all right? If we are in Christ, Peter wants to tell us, "Listen, you have everything you need." For what? To live a godly life.
What's a Godly Life?
What's a godly life? A godly life is one that seeks to please the Lord. See? We have to trust that the work that God began in our lives, He's going to finish it because He's given us power. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead resides in each and every believer. That's why my buddy always says there's no junior Holy Spirit. There isn't. If you have the Holy Spirit, you have the Holy Spirit. We have divine power to please God.
The Power Is in the Knowledge
Here's the key. The remainder of the verse says this: "We have received all of this"—it says—"by coming to know Him." Where do we get this power from? It's by coming to know Him, Jesus Christ. The power is in knowing. As I spend time with the Lord, as I develop a vibrant relationship with Jesus, here's what's going to happen. I'm going to have power to overcome sin. I'm going to have boldness to share my faith. But the key is to know a person and His name is Jesus.
